Conquering in Purple and Red
by CaptainKrueger
Summary: A collection of Conquestshipping ficlets. Latest ficlet summary: Mai and Valon enjoy the morning after their night together in his hotel room. Continuation of the previous ficlet. Hiatus.
1. Restless

**Author's Note: So I plan for this to be just a collection of Conquestshipping ficlets. I figured I could put my ideas here instead of creating oneshot after oneshot, as that's what most of my stories tend to be. **

**This first one was inspired by _Fight Club,_ minus the terrorist organization. :P This one also includes a tweaked, slightly more cynical Valon.**

/o/

She called him stupid because she noticed that the scrapes and bruises were still appearing.

He smiled wryly at her, quirked an eyebrow, and tsk, tsked. She glared at him expectantly, and he shook his head at her, saying, "Stupid? Careful there, Mai. You don't know. I could be a victim of harassment."

"Jackass," she muttered, pushing her plate of food to the side. "We both know you're looking for trouble."

A twist of Valon's lips posed as a smile as he and Mai kept up their staring match. She was now taking the time to be concerned, hm? Was it because the bandage on his brow was out of place in this restaurant? Did it clash too much with the dainty bowl that sat in front of him? He looked down at said bowl. Blue floral print circled the porcelain. His gaze traveled to the cream colored cloth napkin he had dropped on the table. Yeah, definitely out of place, he thought to himself as his attention settled on a nearby couple, a man and a woman. The guy's hands looked just as soft as his female companion's. Valon sighed. What was he doing here?

Mai let out a weary sigh. She had dropped the pissed off friend, and nothing _but_ a friend, look and instead looked tired, like being angry at him took too much energy. "Why are you doing this to yourself, Valon?"

"It's not like I'm getting into it with any guy off the street," Valon murmured the half-truth, which did nothing to appease his friend-and-nothing-but-a-friend.

"Aren't you?" Mai pressed.

Valon shrugged.

"You don't even know most of those losers," Mai accused and, to her credit, she was right.

"It's all under control," Valon murmured, using his spoon to push around his soup's ignored garnish. There were rules. No weapons, no rings, no belts, even shoes were not allowed. If a brawler had enough, that was the end of it. There were no hard feelings, no identities. He wasn't Valon, resident dumbass looking for something to do after his life had become a lot quieter. He wasn't a mechanic. He wasn't the guy who'd spent half a year riding around Europe just because he could. He wasn't Dartz's former puppet. He was a pair of fists that pounded another guy trying to sort out his own life, a knee that drove itself into a doughy middle aged man's gut, a leg that swept a wide eyed nineteen-year-old kid's feet out from under him. Valon was motion, he was confrontation, he was a shout in a crowded room.

But Mai wouldn't care about all that, and he didn't expect her to. Part of him realized just how damn stupid it was that he got into semi-organized fights with guys he didn't know. He understood that when he spat blood onto the dirty floor of that overcrowded basement, under the grainy light of a grimy light bulb, surrounded by dozens of shouting men, that it was probably a good idea that he stopped. Probably.

Mai's scowl showed just how little she believed any of his claims. "Under control," she seethed. "Right. And it's still going to be under control when you start spitting out your own teeth?"

Valon bit back a smartass reply and exhaled instead. "Helps me sleep at night," he finally admitted after a few beats of silence.

"Since when do you have problems sleeping?"

"Oh, because you'd know, what with how you always insisted on sleeping in a different hotel from the rest of us."

"Then get a prescription," Mai argued. "Drink some herbal tea. Meditate. Run. Count sheep. Do _something_ else, Valon. Just don't do this."

Valon breathed out and at that moment a waiter caught his eye. Said waiter was an average looking guy, and the only reason he and Valon continued to look at each other was because they recognized on each other the tell tale signs of what they and several others did on weekend nights. Valon, now that he really got a good look at the guy, thought that he also recognized the guy himself, and not just the map of bruises and cuts on the guy's face. Had he fought him once? Maybe they'd stood by each other one night, goading on two more idiots trying to find the answers to life's problems in the makeshift arena.

Either way, it didn't matter whether he knew the lanky waiter or not; an unspoken camaraderie had settled within both of the young men. Mai may not get what Valon was doing, but that server, whose name he didn't even know, did.

Mai's withering glare pierced him, and she asked, "One of your friends?"

"I wouldn't call him that," Valon replied.

Mai let out a sound of her disapproval. They played with their food in silence. Valon didn't want to look up at her; he knew he'd just get the same face melting glare. "You need a hobby," she finally said after a couple of minutes of poking and stabbing her food.

Valon shrugged the suggestion away. He had his diversions.

"One that doesn't involve you hurting yourself or other people, hon," Mai clarified, holding up her fork and pointing it at him warningly.

Valon finally looked up at her, bemused. When she'd left him behind to clear her head, he'd come to realize that he needed to step back and let Mai live her own life, so why couldn't she do the same for him?

_Because what you're doing's making you spit up blood and see funny. _His voice of reason argued.

_And that's any worse than gambling with peoples' souls?_ Another side of him retorted.

"We do this," he said, picking up his spoon again and swirling it around in his soup. They had lunch every Sunday. They made small talk. They traded stories. They... Valon dropped his spoon and looked up at the blonde woman seated across from him. What _were_ they doing?

"What?" Mai snapped, demanding to know what was causing him to gawk at her.

Valon shrugged again. They were stumbling in the dark, too stubborn to reach for the light when it was within arm's reach. That's what they were doing.

Mai placed her soft, warm hand on his and when Valon looked up, the fire in her eyes had died down from a roaring blaze to a more contained glow. The look in Mai's plum colored eyes told him it was time for them to stop messing around and to start discussing the problem at hand like adults. Mai was reaching for the light switch and flicking it on.

She started to bring her hand back until she looked down and paused to study the bruises on his knuckles. Mai swallowed and looked up at him; her hand retreated to her lap.

"You really want me to stop, don't you, Mai?" Valon asked.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do," Mai responded calmly. The intent behind her words expressed her concern more than her tone did. She exhaled, then said diplomatically, "Look, Valon, I get that you're restless, but you need a less harmful outlet for all that pent up frustration. Promise me you'll stop the fighting, and I promise I'll stop yelling at you...as much."

Valon managed to smile at her little joke. He realized that now that his secret was out in the open, Mai probably wouldn't be so patient if he kept it up. Valon did not want to see if Mai would end up giving him an ultimatum if he continued fighting on weekend nights. Even though their relationship was not all that he wanted it to be, Valon counted himself as pretty lucky that Mai was even talking to him at all. He'd tried to remain optimistic during the nine months they hadn't seen each other, but there was always a small part of him that doubted whether he and Mai would meet again. Now that they had this established routine, Valon didn't want to risk all of that just so he could trade blows with some other guy and not get the police called on him.

"Okay," Valon said in surrender.

Mai's beautiful violet eyes lit up. "So you'll do it?"

Valon chuckled, making an effort to not sound uneasy. "Hey," he said, trying to make it sound like it was no skin off his nose. "Anything for a friend, right?"


	2. Little Questions

"Favorite color," he prompted her.

Mai smirked and looked down at her violet bra. There they were, lying sphinx style under her duvet while the rain whispered outside, wearing nothing but their undergarments, and he was asking Mai her favorite color? Mai placed her chin in her hand, staring at Valon through half-lidded eyes. "Oh, I dunno," she drawled. "What do you think, Valon?"

Valon, mirroring her, cupped his cheek in his hand while he stared at her like the answer required some deep thought."Hm," he murmured reflectively. "I'm going to have to go with orange."

Mai snickered and, had they been facing the headboard instead of the end of the bed, she would have smack him with the closest pillow. "Orange," she replied, kicking a leg up so a small mountain stood on the opposite end of the bed. She snapped a purple bra strap. "That's your answer."

"You strike me as an orange girl," Valon answered, kicking his own leg up and bumping hers, making the mountain bow to the side.

"That's a five point deduction," Mai chirped. "You're off to a bad start."

"I'm sure I can win those points back," Valon replied, shifting under the covers so that he lay on his back, grinning at the ceiling. "Your turn."

Mai cradled her face with both hands while she stared up. "Hmmm." She decided that her question would have to be simple. Although the many questions she'd like to ask were running through her head—What was it like growing up the way he did? Why her? What made him wait so long? Why did he continue to smile even when he worked for Dartz?—Mai knew that it was best that they started with the easy questions.

She followed his example by turning around so that she lay on her back. "What's _your_ favorite color?" Mai smirked and mentally shook her head at herself. Dear god, they were being such dorks.

Valon chuckled. His red overshirt was somewhere in the living room, so he didn't have the benefit of looking down at his own torso ironically. "Guess."

"Periwinkle."

"Oh, got me there, Mai."

"I knew it."

"Baths or showers?" he asked.

"Both have their merits," she replied, finding shapes and patterns in the ceiling. Funny, but she felt...at peace. Content. Like she wanted to do nothing more than play this silly little game with Valon for the rest of the morning. "Do you have a type?"

"My type is whoever I'm with," he answered her, searching for and finding her hand under the blankets. They threaded their fingers through each other's. "And who I'm with is a blonde who can kick ass and handle a bike... While in heels."

Mai chuckled and rolled over so her head was on his chest. She traced shapes lazily on one of his pecs with the pad of her index finger. "Going for the cheese, are we?"

"Is it working?"

"I won't say."

"No fair."

Mai smiled as her eyes drowsily slid closed. Damn it, she was happy; she'd never even thought she would be in this position, lying in bed with Valon, being lulled back to sleep by the rain.

"Hey," Valon whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"What've we been doing the last ten minutes?"

"Aw, c'mon, Mai."

Mai smiled and pressed a kiss on his chest. "Okay, shoot."

"What're your thoughts on the future?" He paused and added carefully, "Stuff like marriage."

Mai lifted her head, "Whoa there, stud. You're cute, but don't think I plan on marrying you anytime soon just because I let you in my bed."

Valon laughed and shook his head. "You can calm down; I'm just asking about it in a general sense."

"Oh," Mai said simply. She settled back down. "Oh. You mean, what do I think about marriage as a whole?"

"'Course, Mai. I realize that I came on a little strong—"

"A little?" Mai teased.

"—but don't think I'm planning our retirement as we speak. Just want to know what you think."

Mai hesitated. It wasn't something she'd given much thought. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think if it's what you want, go for it; if you don't want it, then don't. Although y'know what? Suppose you and I ever get that far? I'd be willing to take your last name."

"And why's that?" Mai asked. Knowing that Valon was willing to take her name made her smile; she couldn't imagine some of the other guys in her life willing to do that.

"Because your last name is Valentine."

"Hm, Valon Valentine?"

"Think about it, Mai."

"It does have a nice ring to it."

"S'pose we had a kid. A daughter, specifically. We could name her Valerie."

Mai looked up at him and smirked. "We would not name her Valerie."

"Hey, why not?" Valon asked. "Valerie Valentine, daughter of Valon."

"That's exactly why, hon."

Valon chuckled and threw his arm over his eyes, unable to suppress his grin. "That'd be a wasted opportunity, Mai."

"We'd live," Mai replied. "So are we done with hypothetical scenarios?"

"Sure. I was just thinking. We just had our first night together; we don't have to worry about making any big, life changing decisions anytime soon."

Mai smiled, closed her eyes, and nuzzled him, ready to fall back asleep. "Mm, good." All she wanted was to continue lazing in bed, listening to the rain, enjoying Valon's company. They had plenty of time to actually get to know each other, and Mai was glad for that.


	3. Save Your Goodbye

**Author's Note: So named after the song by Mike Posner.**

**/o/**

Mai was out of his life, and yet Valon managed to find her everywhere he went, in a manner of speaking. While he and Mai had not yet crossed paths in the months following her departure, he still felt her presence in his life. He caught glimpses of her when he saw a woman, any woman, with a luxurious mane of golden hair. He saw Mai when he looked upon strangers who had her defiant, violet eyes.

A confident smirk colored pink, a haughty toss of the hair, a purposeful strut, the sound of heels clicking on the ground; Valon didn't have to see her to be reminded of her because Mai was everywhere, and yet she was nowhere.

This all made it difficult for him to move on. He'd decided that was what he needed after a week and a half of hanging around Domino, naively hoping that maybe Mai would have second thoughts and come back early, for he was certain that's what she intended to do eventually. At least he _hoped_ so. It had to be what she was planning sooner or later, right? Why else would she leave such a dear possession with the guy she seemed to tolerate at best and loathe at worst? Valon had managed to fool himself into thinking that Mai's card meant that she'd come back and they'd have a chance to start over and actually get to know each other.

And yet...

And yet without an actual note, he really couldn't know what her intentions were. She hadn't left anything in writing. No "See you later," no "Catch you next time," no "Meet me at-this-place at-this-time." Not even an "Up yours, bucko." Part of him believed her card meant that it was some kind of pretense, that she'd come back for it, and yet part of him argued that it was supposed to be some kind of keepsake.

Whatever Mai's intention, Valon wasn't going to twiddle his thumbs any longer to see whether or not Mai would return.

So he was going to move on. He'd see new places, meet new people, try new things. But before be did that, there was one thing to do: leave the card in the hands of someone Valon knew for sure Mai would want to see. He didn't know Wheeler's address, and he wasn't exactly excited to track him down, but he did know the location of the game shop, so he left the card with Yugi with the instructions to pass it on to Joey.

Valon started up his bike and looked up at the sky as the wind whispered through his hair. Smiling up at the clouds, Valon murmured, "Have a good one, Mai, wherever you are." With that said, Valon slipped his helmet on and sped off, wondering if he and Mai should ever meet again.


	4. Why

Because she could not yet face Joey, Mai decided to settle with Valon.

Why she came for him, she couldn't say.

Maybe it was because it was inevitable. Maybe it was because she needed some human contact, and Valon was her best option. Maybe it was because hopeful blue eyes pointed in her direction would hurt a lot less than warm brown eyes. Maybe it was because, despite the hateful job they'd worked together, there was just a lot less baggage.

Mai really couldn't say.

Whatever her reason, there she was. In Valon's bed. Fumbling around in the sheets in her search for her undergarments.

Hating herself. Hating herself for what she was about to do.

All while Valon slept. Facedown. Oblivious.

Mai sighed as she reached behind herself and hooked her bra.

All she could do was asky why. Why? Why did life have to be so complicated? Why was she so goddamn selfish? Why was she putting her clothes on as quickly as she could manage without waking her unconscious lover? Why couldn't she just lie back down and fall back asleep?

It was all because of one person, Mai realized.

Joey.

Mai sighed.

She looked over at Valon while she slid on her tight jeans.

He deserved better than this.

It was despicable, really, what she was doing.

Why had she even bothered, coming over to Valon's place, kissing him?

Against the door.

Against the wall.

On the couch.

Up the stairs.

Through the hallway.

In his bed.

How could she allow him to slip off her shirt while her thoughts were on another?

How could she hold his face in her hands and kiss him as he ground his hips against hers, while she was struggling not to cry out the wrong name?

It was no good asking herself these questions.

Mai had no answers.

Or maybe...

Maybe she just didn't have any answers that weren't completely disgusting.

Mai sighed one more time as she gathered her boots in her hands. (It was hard to sneak out in heels.)

She sent one last look at Valon.

God, he looked so peaceful.

So unaware.

Swallowing, Mai quietly slipped through the small opening in the doorway, asking herself one thing.

Why hadn't Valon just slammed the door in her face?


	5. Sweet Slumber

**Author's Note: Well, it****'s been a while. I didn't work on this collection for so long because I was working on a multichapter Conquest fic, "Eternal Sunshine," which is loosely based on the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You know where to find it if you haven't read it and are interested. And I also took some more time to start working on this after I finished ES because I got really discouraged since I worked really hard on the last chapter, and only got one review for it, sooooo, yeah, I had to take a break from writing for a while.**

**But anyway, here I am and here's another installment of "Conquering in Purple and Red." This is a simple one. Nothing profound, but I like it.**

* * *

><p>Valon plopped down onto his bed, expelling a large gust of air from his lungs. Man, he was tired. Only a few hours of sleep, a whole day of work, and now he just wanted to pass out for a few hours since he didn't have to go into work early the next day. Valon bent down and started to slowly unlace his boots when he got a notification from his phone, letting him know that Mai had texted him. A small, tired smile found its way upon Valon's lips, and he sat up and pulled out his phone to read his girlfriend's message.<p>

_You're off work now, right? Let's rent a movie._

Valon chuckled happily to himself then typed out his reply: _But I'm tiiirrrred. I was just about to take a nap._

_Then I'll come over and nap with you. Sound good?_

_Sounds perfect. Let yourself in. I'll be in my room._

Valon put his phone on the nightstand next to his bed, then returned to unlacing his boots, grinning to himself all the while . He was absolutely tickled that Mai was willing to come over to his house just to nap with him just so they could spend time together; it just made him feel special. Then again, Mai actually wanting to be with him made him feel special, so this was just an extra perk.

Valon removed his clothes and changed into a soft cotton t-shirt and sweatpants, then he stretched out on his bed, not yet getting under the covers because then he'd probably get too comfortable and fall asleep before Mai came over.

Soon enough he heard Mai announcing her presence in his house from downstairs, and then he heard her coming up the stairs. She smiled at him when she stepped across the threshold, and Valon noted that Mai was wearing clothes that weren't exactly her standard. "Came prepared, I see," Valon said, pushing the covers back, looking at her simple tank top and cotton pants.

"Not exactly comfortable sleeping in a tight skirt," Mai commented, smiling wryly as she ran a hand down her hip, getting a feel for the soft texture of her pants.

Valon nodded in response and pushed himself underneath the covers.

"You look tired," Mai noted, getting in bed next to him.

Valon, head on the pillow, looked at Mai through half-lidded eyes and smiled. "What gave you that idea? I could run for a few hours, easy."

Mai chuckled, lay down on her side, and gazed at him warmly. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Not enough," Valon admitted, eyes slowly closing.

"And why is that?" Mai wanted to know.

"Marathon."

"Marathon?"

"Movie marathon. This channel was showing the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy."

"You mean to tell me the reason you didn't get any sleep was because you stayed up watching _Lord of the Rings_?"

Valon clicked his tongue twice in response to her question. "It was an all day marathon. Showed the three movies consecutively on repeat for a whole day. I just happened to start watching at a time that caused me to finish late in the morning. You know how they stretch out movies to cram in a shitload of commercials. Those movies are long enough by themselves without any interruptions."

"Well, it's your own fault that you're so tired isn't it?" Mai asked. Valon could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Yup," Valon replied smoothly.

"Couldn't you just record them?"

"Nope."

"And why not?"

"Because then I probably wouldn't get around to watching them until I needed recording space. It's better to watch movies when they're on TV."

"You sound like a teenager," Mai teased. "A teenager without responsibilities."

"Yeah, well, I'm an adult. And being an adult means I have the freedom to make stupid decisions like watching three longass movies back to back to back, and dealing with the consequences the next day. Which I have. Now it's time to sleep, 'kay?"

"But.."

"Shhhhh," Valon replied, reaching out to cover Mai's mouth, but missing and and touching her forehead and nose since his eyes were still closed.

Mai laughed and pushed Valon's arm away. "Okay, okay, I get it. Do you still want to watch a movie after we wake up?"

"Mmmm," Valon murmured, turning around so his back faced her, an invitation to spoon. "Not really, sincd I'm kinda overloaded, but if your heart's set on it..."

Mai chuckled warmly and scooted closer so she was cuddling him, effectively becoming the big spoon. "I guess we can figure out something."

"Good idea," Valon mumbled tiredly. "Now time for sleepy-bye."

Mai smiled into his shoulder. "Sweet dreams, Valon," she said, then pressed a kiss into his shoulder.

Valon didn't respond because he was already asleep, but that was okay.

Mai exhaled contentedly, settled even closer to Valon, and then closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So this was born from my love of being content enough in your relationship to be happy with simply taking a nap with your loved one. Plus this collection needs more fluff.<strong>


	6. Pillow Talk

"Hey, Valon?"

He rolled onto his side and smiled at her. "Yeah, Mai?"

"Would you tell me about your parents?" she asked, reaching out with her leg and rubbing her shin against his.

Valon chuckled and flopped onto his back, covering his eyes with his arm opposite of her, and grinning. "That's it. That's how you wanna start off pillow talk?"

Mai exhaled, reached for his free hand, grabbed it, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to if you don't want to," she murmured.

"No, it's okay," Valon said, arm sliding down his face and then torso until it was back on the bed. "You deserve to know."

Mai patiently waited for him while Valon lay there and thought, probably figuring out just how he was going to tell her. He finally spoke after almost half a minute of silence.

"My dad was a mean drunk. Tried to find peace in each sip, but he never really could. And what was I to him? Eh, I was pretty much one of those punching dolls that are built to pop right back up for another hit. It was okay if I kept out of the way, but it's kind of impossible to avoid someone completely. Especially when you need to sleep."

Mai frowned sympathetically and gave his hand another gentle squeeze. Talk was cheap, and she hated using words in a situation like this when physical contact was enough. Still, the thought of some lowlife drunkard hovering over a little Valon in bed and kicking him out to take out his frustrations on him made her chest tighten and left a bad taste in her mouth.

"At least he never touched my mother. I don't think those two had any physical contact after Mum gave birth to me. It doesn't matter, really. We weren't a family. We were just three people living together, and I happened to be related to them by blood."

"But it does matter, Valon," Mai whispered, scooting closer to him. "You deserved a real family. You deserved a normal childhood."

"And so did you, Raph, and Al," Valon replied calmly, though his features remained troubled, "and a few other people you and I could mention. But that's just how it is, innit?"

Mai sighed and rolled onto her side so she could put her head on his bare chest. "I know. I know. It's just frustrating."

"Don't I know it," Valon responded, wrapping an arm around her.

They settled into a comfortable silence for a few more moments, and Mai let it be.

"My mum wasn't a mean drunk—she just cried a lot and drank and chain smoked. I don't know what it was that made her so unhappy. Dad? Work? Her life? I really don't know. All I know is she was very...distant. She was really just a mother in a biological sense, just like my dad was only a father in a biological sense. I don't know what she wanted in life, I don't know if she'd had aspirations before getting with Dad, but I do know she never wanted a kid. Why they kept me, I'll never know."

Valon paused to inhale and exhale slowly, and Mai lay silent.

"I mean, my mum tried to find happiness—at least, she did it more actively than my dad did. He was unhappy, so he sat on the couch and watched game shows and opened up can after can, bottle after bottle. But my mum—she tried to do things, tried to get out and enjoy herself. She went dancing with her sister, she did yoga, she even joined a goddamn book club, even took up pottery. It was all a charade. Still, she did what she could to get out of the house. Just so long as she didn't have to see the two of us. Didn't have to look at the slob that she'd committed herself to, and didn't have to look me in the eye and see all the mistakes she'd made. She never really did look at me head-on.

"But, then again, the lack of attention I received from her was better than the attention I received from dad. Sometimes it got so bad, I had to leave for the night and go sleep in the park, so long as the weather was good."

"Jesus, Valon," Mai said breathlessly.

He didn't respond. "So, y'know, it got to be enough. Couldn't take it anymore."

"And then you left," Mai continued for him.

"Mm-hm," Valon answered. "And, well, you know the rest."

Mai brought Valon's hand up to her lips and kissed it. He turned his head to look at her, and he smiled wanly at Mai before leaning in close and pressing his lips against hers. When they pulled apart, Mai looked into Valon's eyes and said earnestly, "I love you."

Valon smiled and whispered, "I know." He wrapped both arms around her and laid another kiss on her lips. "I love you, too. And that's all that really matters."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I was actually going to do something like this in the last ficlet, with the same premise that Valon is trying to nap, but Mai surprises him with the question that starts off this ficlet, but decided I'd save this conversation for another time. Valon's family backstory is based off the one briefly mentioned in my story "Eternal Sunshine," but it's a little expanded upon. <strong>

**So, anyway, Happy New Year!**


	7. Run

Valon spent the better part of a year in a foreign continent running. Whether he was running to something or running away from something, he could not say for the first week or so. Was he running toward some kind of enlightenment, or was he running away from aching loneliness? That sure was the question at first whenever he gunned his bike and rode throughout the night so he could get a room in a cheap motel during the watery light of dawn and pass out for most of the day. It didn't leave him much time to think whenever he did this, since all he had to do was concentrate on the road during these nights and merely had to sleep for a good part of the daytime. However, he didn't always spend his time like this; there were times when he did stay in a place for a few days and try to find something to entertain himself, but despite his best efforts, the door for intrusive thoughts still opened.

Sometimes Valon would start to wake up but have a hard time staying awake, so he would drift in and out of half-sleep, where he would dream that _a certain someone_ lay right next to him and was waking up with him. He would roll over onto his side and reach out for a kiss that never came to him, and the embarrassment was enough to snap him out of his groggy stupor.

It was after enough time that Valon realized that he was running away from the feelings of helpless loneliness. That's why he rode his motorcycle all night and then slept all day. It meant that he didn't have to think about how alone he was. After all, he had no one. No family, no friends, no one with whom he could share a bed.

When he did decide to stop by a town, even though he tried the local restaurants and events and attractions, she was there. She was always there. She was there when he woke up, she was there when he ate, she was in the crowd, she was in the back of his mind always. She was on the other end of the restaurant patio, keeping her eyes pointed down at her coffee and menu. She was on the sidewalk, idly window shopping as she strolled leisurely to her destination. She was a spectator at the impromptu concerts held on street corners. She sat down on stoops to rest her weary feet after an indulgent shopping spree. She got onto trains and got off boats. She followed him into the hotel lobby, waved at the exhausted receptionist, and sat herself down, in all of her poise and grace, onto the bed.

Speculative thinking.

Valon wondered what she was really doing, on her own personal journey. He wondered if she thought about him at all, even in passing thought; he tried to tell himself that her card meant something, that maybe that Mai was telling him that he would be in her thoughts, but he truly didn't know. A card was not the same as a note. Still Valon wondered if Mai was enjoying herself, if she did any of the things he imagined her doing, if she had found her peace. He just hoped that she was happy, wherever she was, whomever she was with, whatever she was doing.

* * *

><p>The funds that Valon had accrued while working under Dartz had afforded him the luxury to wander aimlessly around for a sizable amount of time, but he knew that eventually he would have to be practical with his money, come back to his base camp in Domino, and save the rest.<p>

Valon came back "home" to Domino City, and the first place he went to was the beach.

He parked his bike, hopped over the railing because it was quicker that way, and walked slowly to the middle of the beach. He stared at the water, hoping to find some kind of purpose or resolve after all this time by himself by staring at the vastness of the ocean, feel some kind of epiphany, yet ultimately felt nothing but exhaustion. He let out a breath of air and flopped down onto the sand, finding himself unable to care that he was doing so without a towel of blanket of some kind.

Valon lay on his back and rested his arm on his closed eyes to block out the sun. He listened to whispering of the wind and the gentle murmur of the ocean, he felt the sand on the exposed parts of his back, he felt the sun sending its rays onto his flesh, and he was still and silent enough to feel his own heartbeat. He was alone. No beach goers, no animals; just Valon and the ocean.

He went unbothered for an indiscernible amount of time, but that ended when he heard a sharp, "Hey!"

Valon moved his arm and slowly opened his eyes, and found himself looking up at Mai, who stared at him puzzledly. "Hey," she repeated, a little more neutrally this time, walking up to him. Valon sat up and shook his head rapidly to remove some of the sand from his hair. "What are you doing?"

Valon looked up at her, smiled, and shrugged. "I really don't know," he admitted. And maybe that was okay. "I guess—I guess I'm just tired of running."


	8. Chat

**Author's Note: So this is a sequel of sorts to my ficlet "Satisfaction." You don't need to read it to understand this one. All you need to know is that Raphael and Valon are in a relationship, and Valon turned down Mai's offer to hook up when they saw each other for the first time in over a year. **

* * *

><p>"Here you go," Mai said, sitting down and handing Valon his drink. "One for you, one for me."<p>

Valon grinned at her appreciatively and said, nearly shouting to be heard over the club speakers, "Thanks a bunch, Mai."

"No problem, hon," she replied smoothly, then enjoyed the first swallow of her drink.

"And thanks for coming along with me," Valon added. "Raph just wasn't feeling it tonight."

"Of course," Mai responded. "Raphael doesn't seem like the going out type, and I needed to get out of the apartment anyway."

Valon nodded his agreement and leaned back on the couch they both currently occupied. It was a small piece of furniture, really, and it left them sitting awfully close together. Mai took another sip and thought about how he would have loved that fact over a year ago, yet now he seemed completely unaffected by being in close proximity to her. Damn, how things could change. Unbelievable.

"What did you do all that time we didn't see each other?" Mai suddenly blurted out, much to her irritation; she should have opened up with something easier, like asking how his job was, or something like that.

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Me?" he asked, evidently surprised with her interest in the goings on of his life. "Oh, traveling. Lots of traveling, occasional dueling if money was involved. Had to keep it going somehow, you know? Dartz's money that I'd saved up wasn't exactly limitless, so I kinda had to."

"Funny," Mai commented. "You sound a little resentful of that."

Valon shrugged. "I'd rather put dueling behind me," he admitted. He took a quick swig. "That was part of a different time in my life, one that I'm not very proud of."

"Understandable." Mai swallowed another sip. "So that's it? Traveling and dueling? Sounds like what I did."

"I also learned how to surf," Valon added. "Even worked as a fisherman to stay in this one guy's extra room without paying rent. I got _really_ tan."

"I'll bet," Mai said, crossing one leg over the other. "Sounds like you had a busy time."

"I did," Valon agreed. "And you, Mai? Have you been busy?"

It was Mai's turn to shrug. "I guess you could say that," she replied. "Had a dueling partner for a while, traveled the world together. We even got to duel on the Great Wall."

"Whoa!" Valon exclaimed, beaming at her. "Sounds amazing."

"It wasn't too bad," Mai replied, trying to sound nonchalant, as if she had opportunities like that often. She looked at Valon—cheerful, outgoing Valon—and then thought about Raphael—stoic, reserved Raphael—and marveled at the thought of the two of them ever getting together. "You know, Valon, I do have to ask: you and Raphael? How did that ever happen?"

Valon shrugged and then shook his head in his lack of answers, chuckling softly. "I dunno, Mai. It just...happened. We got really close after catching up over all that lost time, and then things just changed." He upended his drink, then set it aside after he'd drained it. "It's just—he was there, you know? He listened, he shared. He—he gave a damn. And, really, we can't help who we fall for, you know?"

Mai chuckled sardonically. "Baby doll, I could write a whole book on the subject," she claimed, then took another sip.

"That so?" Valon replied, throwing his arms on the top of the couch. "Whole book, eh?"

"Four hundred pages," Mai answered, pretending to find her fingernails more interesting.

"If that's the case, I'll be the first one to buy it," Valon continued.

The direction of Mai's gaze slid over to look at him. She smirked. "Really, now?" she drawled.

"'Course," Valon replied cheerily. "I'll be your biggest fan. Friends gotta support each other, right?"

It took all of Mai's self-control not to cringe that that godawful word. She smiled, chuckled, and covered her frustration by finishing off her drink. When she was done, she exhaled sharply and set her glass down on the short-legged table laid out in front of them. "Right," she replied crisply. "So tell me, what's it like? With Raphael, I mean."

Valon smiled serenely. "Oh, you know," he said, almost bashfully. "We're night and day, me and him, but it works out. He goes out practically with the sun, so I have to be real quiet when I get into bed. He reads a lot, and couldn't care less about what's on TV. Sometimes I wish he was a little more interested, but you know. That's just how it is. Still, he reads next to me so we're at least spending time together."

"Sounds nice," Mai commented. Then, smiling wryly, she added, "And utterly domestic."

Valon laughed uproariously. "Yeah, yeah, you got that right. I hated having such a slow life when I came back, but now I just find myself not caring. Domestic life isn't too bad when you're sharing it with someone. Least that's how I feel about it."

"I think I understand what you're saying," Mai admitted. What was it like to have someone to come home to everyday? "Maybe. Oh, I don't know. I can't say."

"Maybe you will know, someday," Valon said, looking at her and smiling gently.

Mai gazed into his sweet blue eyes, transfixed. Maybe she could picture a life like that with him. Maybe they didn't have to live together, maybe they would be okay with spending days at a time apart, but she could see them waking up in the morning in bed, could see him cooking on her stove, could see him explaining the plot of whatever TV show or movie he was watching to her. That sounded awfully nice.

Mai tore her gaze from him and instead looked at the dance floor. So many densely packed sweaty bodies gyrating and grinding.

"So he doesn't have a problem with you getting into bed much later than him?" Mai asked, changing the subject.

"Nope," Valon replied. "I try my best to be quiet. He's invested in one of those memory foam mattresses, anyway, so that makes it easier."

"Sounds nice," Mai said, for a lack of a better response.

"Mm," Valon responded, nodding once.

"Okay, random question," Mai prompted, turning her head and looking at him. "What are your views on polyamory? You know, dating more than one person."

Valon let out a boisterous stream of air, looking up at the ceiling in his contemplation. "I've—I've never really thought about it. I dunno. I guess that's just up to each person to decide for themselves whether on not that's what works for them. People should be able to do it if they want. I mean, so long's everyone who's involved is okay with it. I guess those are my views."

"Well, what do you think about it personally, Valon?" Mai continued. "As an option for yourself."

Valon blinked and pursed his lips. "Hm," he murmured. "Me? Well, I don't know. Gee, I-I really don't know, Mai. I've thought about it even less than in a general sense. I guess I just never really pictured myself being attached to more than one person at a time."

"Do you know what Raphael thinks of it?" Mai asked. God, she was so obvious; she completely lacked subtlety, but she only half-cared. She had to know.

Valon barked out a laugh. "Noooo, mm-mm. Mm-mm. Raphael is a one person kinda man, Mai. He's serious about monogamy. And even if I were into poly relationships—which I don't even know if I am—I'd give it up for him. It's worth it."

Valon's words hit her like a speeding car. The breath was knocked out of her, bones were broken; she fell onto the hood, broke the windshield with her skull, then went tumbling off. The car sped off without a care as she lay supine on the ground, a trickle of blood running down the side of her mouth onto the ground.

_You're being morbid. _Mai berated herself. She looked away from him, past the dance floor to the bar. God, she needed another drink.

"Anyway, why do you ask?" Valon asked nonchalantly.

She looked at him and smiled. "Oh, no reason. Just curious."

He nodded, and she looked back at the bar.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sooo, the summary says that this collection is on hiatus, and that's true because I've decided to take a break, but I ended up finishing this last night, so I'd rather put this up now than keep it in storage for who knows how long.<strong>


	9. Persuasion

Mai woke up to the vibrating of her cell phone, an alarm she'd set to tell her when she should leave for her place so she could get ready for the day. Valon made a sound and rolled over in his sleep onto his stomach, head turned away from her. Mai quickly snatched her phone up and silenced the alarm, and Valon's breathing settled back into its slow, steady rhythm. Sitting up in his bed, Mai looked at her sleeping boyfriend and smiled at him affectionately. She was impressed by his ability to fall back asleep so easily, and she was slightly envious of it. Any small sound woke her up, and once she woke, that was _it_. No more falling back asleep.

Mai silently slipped out of bed and scanned the room for her clothes. Her dark wash jeans, mercifully, were closest to the bed, as were her slingback wedges. Mai bent down and picked up her jeans, carefully making as little sound as possible. Looking back at Valon's slumbering form, she slid on her tight fitting jeans, then put on her wedges. Next came her shirt. Mai looked ahead and found it in the hallway. Grinning and slowly shaking her head, Mai exhaled and stepped lightly across the carpeted floor to retrieve her flowy, asymmetrical tank top. Slipping that on, Mai walked back across the room and sat back down on the bed.

Valon's head was still turned away from her, so instead of stroking his cheek like she wanted to, she gently ran her fingers through his hair. "Valon," she murmured.

His breathing shortened somewhat. "Mmmm..."

Mai smiled, experiencing an almost overwhelming sense of warmth and adoration building in her chest. "Valon," she repeated, somewhat louder.

"Mmmm...mmhm?"

"I have to go now."

Valon turned his head and opened his eyes a fraction, sweet blue eyes peeking at her through the small opening his eyelids provided. "Wha-?"

"I have to go now," Mai repeated, bringing her hand to his face. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Hm, what?" Valon said, in his half-asleep stupor. "What? Wait, no. You can't go. I haven't even made breakfast."

Mai's smile broke into a grin. "I know, baby, I know. But it'll have to wait for another time. I have to go home and get ready for work."

Valon pushed himself up onto his elbows. He frowned, trying to fight the fog still surrounding his concentration and awareness. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"Not much longer," Mai admitted disappointedly.

"Twenty more minutes?"

"Sorry, no," Mai apologized. In reality, she wouldn't mind staying for another few days.

"Ten more?"

"That'll be pushing things."

"Five more minutes," Valon insisted.

Mai smiled and chuckled. "Okay, Valon," she said, lying back down on his bed, her back facing him. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her shoulder. "Five more minutes," she promised, and they settled into a comfortable silence, cherishing the few minutes they had left.


	10. Lost and Found

"It. Is so. Cold. In your room, Valon."

"Aw, but I like it like that."

Mai looked at him with a dry smile, then sat up, wrapped the oh so thin hotel room bed sheet around her chest, grabbed the second blanket and thick duvet that had been pushed aside to the end of the bed, and then pulled the extra layers up to her chin.

"Hey, gives us an excuse to snuggle close," Valon chirped, grinning at her as she settled under the blankets and then wrapped her arms around him to leech some warmth off him.

Mai looked up at him, a wry smile twisting her lips, and said, "Valon, I am as naked as the day I was born. This is not a time to joke about my discomfort."

Valon laughed and wrapped his arms around her, asking, "Better?"

Mai laid her head down, nuzzling his neck. His neck was so deliciously warm. Something to do with the pulse, she knew. "I'm warming up," she muttered begrudgingly into his skin. "But tell me: why do you like keeping your hotel room so cold?"

"Well, for one," Valon replied, slowly rubbing her back, "it's not wintertime, so I can. For another, it's not my electricity bill that I have to worry about. And for another, it helps me sleep."

"Sleep?" Mai asked, removing her face from the warmth of his neck to look at him. "How so?"

"Burying myself under a bunch of blankets gets me warm, which helps me relax, which, you know, helps me to fall asleep quickly," he replied easily.

"I can see the reasoning, but you're still weird," Mai responded, setting her head back down.

Valon smiled at her peacefully and chuckled. "And yet you're still here."

"Yeah," Mai replied softly. "I guess you're just something special."

Valon chuckled again and then laid a lingering kiss on her mouth. "I guess so."

"I came back looking for you," Mai told him, voice almost at a whisper. "I went to look for you, and you were gone. Neighbors said you'd moved out all of a sudden."

Their arms were starting to fall asleep, so they slowly released their hold on each other. Valon rolled onto his back and Mai pressed herself closer to him, idly rubbing her leg against his.

"I know," he replied, after nearly a minute of silence. "I know, Mai. It's just—it's just that I needed something different. Domino was—it was all that _could be_, and it wasn't what all that _was_, so I figured that I had to move on. Plus I didn't know when or even _if_ you were coming back, especially for me, so you know... I cut my losses and left."

Mai exhaled and carefully reached out her hand underneath the covers and rested it on his chest. She traced her fingertip along the contours of his pectoral muscles at a steady pace, taking her time in memorizing the feel, shape, and path her finger followed. "Valon, I...my card... Surely you knew that—"

"It could have meant practically anything," Valon replied calmly, with no tension in his voice to suggest that he had an ill feelings about the matter. "And you know what an ass I made of myself, assuming things about you when we hardly knew each other. I didn't want to build my life on another one."

Mai did not respond; she gazed at the beige colored wallpaper without really concentrating on it. "It couldn't exactly mean _anything._ You know that, right?" she murmured.

"But it wasn't as straightforward as a note," Valon added pointedly.

Mai let out a breath of air and let her eyes close for a few moments. "You're right," she admitted. "You're right, it wasn't. You did what you had to do. I can respect that."

"Mm."

They lay there quietly, breaths making the only sound in the room aside from the air conditioning unit. And Mai realized that they only had so much time before they had to part ways again, as they both had booked rooms in this hotel because it was hosting a tournament. Soon it would end, the tournament, the subsequent days she would stay to take a little vacation to go sightseeing and shopping, _this. _All gone in a few days. Possibly less, Mai realized, lifting her head up and looking at Valon. She didn't know how much longer he planned to stay, whether it was as long as she would or not, or if he planned on leaving the day the tournament ended.

He realized that she was looking at him, so he turned his head and he smiled at her. "What?" he asked.

Mai said nothing; instead she got on her hands and knees and put a knee in between his, indicating that she wanted him to make room for her. Valon complied, widening the space between his legs enough so she could lie down between them and rest her head on his chest. Mai let out a long, cleansing exhale and then hummed contentedly as her eyes languidly slid shut. Valon ran his hand down some of the length of her hair, smoothing it out.

"To think that we both happened to pick the same tournament in the same city," Mai said, marveling at the odds.

He chuckled. "Crazy, innit?" Valon asked blithely. "Must be fate."

"Hm," Mai agreed. She could ask him plainly if he would stay with her so they could have more time together, but that was too...vulnerable for her tastes. "So how long do you plan on staying in town?" she settled on. It showed her interest, but it was also nonchalant, didn't ask for much.

"Planning on a few more days," he replied, and since he could not see her face, Mai was free to grin ecstatically. "You know, I'm on vacation and all. I'm going to enjoy myself."

"Me too," she responded, a little too eagerly. _Dial it back a notch._

"Hey," Valon replied happily. Mai didn't have to be looking at him to know he was grinning. "We should go sightseeing."

Mai stifled a sigh of relief, content that he was the one to make the offer, but not wanting to let him know what was going on in her head. "Sounds like a good idea, Valon," she said, lifting her head up to finally look at him.

They smiled at each other, then lost themselves in a kiss that Mai would be content to let last for hours. She didn't know what would happen after their time in this city was up, didn't know if she would be able to find it within herself to pursue a long distance relationship with him if he'd moved far away while she was gone, but she knew one thing: she was in his arms, and she was absolutely content. And that was all that she cared about in that moment.


	11. Lost and Found: Part 2

Mai's dreams were invaded by the sound of a telephone going off. She was hardly aware of what it was she was dreaming about, but the noise came, and then the dream fell apart, and then Mai was squinting at the hotel nightstand for a few moments of confusion before she realized that it was a wake up call. She couldn't see the time on the digital alarm clock, and the heavy curtains that were drawn closed blocked out almost all light. It could be 6:00 A.M. or 10:00 A.M., and she wouldn't know. She could barely make out Valon's sleeping form in the darkness of the hotel room, but she knew that he was still unconscious, unaware of the phone's assault on the morning peace.

"Mmmm, Valon," Mai murmured sleepily. She wiggled closer to him so her body pressed against his. The room was still at its ungodly cold temperature, and he was so warm. Mai realized that the covers had slipped down, a result of them moving in their sleep no doubt, and she realized that was the reason why she was especially cold. Mai yawned and pulled the blankets back up to her collarbone.

Valon was still asleep.

Mai placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "Valon," she said, a little louder this time, voice still husky from being half-asleep.

"Mmmm..."

"Valon," Mai repeated, lightly tapping his arm.

Valon exhaled slowly. "Yeah?"

"Phone."

"Oh," Valon replied. "Right."

Valon leaned over, taking his body heat with him, and picked up the phone. "Thank you. Uh-huh. Thank you, goodbye."

Mai yawned while Valon lay back down, pulling the covers back up to cover his bare torso. "Wake up call?" she asked quietly for confirmation.

"Mm-hm," he responded. "I'm sorry, I should have called last night and canceled it."

"No, it's fine," Mai said, putting her head on the area between his chest and shoulder and sliding her arm around him. "Wouldn't want to oversleep, anyway."

"Mmph, true," Valon agreed. He let out a long breath of air. "I should get up. Brush my teeth, take a shower."

"Well, what time is it?"

He grabbed the clock and looked at it. "Nine oh two."

"Do you think the hotel is still serving breakfast?" Mai asked.

"I dunno. I doubt it."

"Hm," Mai responded thoughtfully. "Well, the games aren't starting for a few hours, and we don't have to worry about rushing to get something to eat. I'd say we could just stay in bed for a little while longer."

Valon looked at her and smiled, making a contented sound. "Got a point there, Mai," he concurred. He rolled over and smiled at her placidly. "Sleep well?"

"Best sleep I had in a while, despite sleeping in Antarctica," Mai quipped, gazing at him through half-lidded eyes.

He chuckled softly and shook his head slightly at her. "You're being dramatic, Mai."

"What? It's cold."

"Would it make you happy if I raised the temperature?"

"I'd be the happiest girl around."

Valon let out a dramatic sigh, letting himself fall onto his back while he stared at the ceiling. "Fine, fine," he drawled, sitting up and snatching up the sheet. He slid out of bed and wrapped the sheet around his hips, gripping it in a knot to hold it in place. He looked at her over his shoulder and grinned at her cockily. "Gotta protect my modesty," he remarked with a wink.

"Doofus," Mai muttered under her breath, pulling up the covers to her chin to compensate for the loss of the sheet.

Valon had some trouble pulling the massive curtains open with just one hand, but he got the job done and then bent down and tapped a button on the AC unit located underneath the windows. "There, up an extra ten degrees. Happy?"

Mai curled up under the blankets, pulling her body into a ball to conserve heat. "I will be when I can feel a difference."

Valon feigned surprise and sat down on the bed. He scoffed sharply. "Well," he said emphatically, sliding his legs under the rest of the covers slowly, pointedly looking away as if he were offended. He sighed and made a show of slowly readjusting the blankets as he pulled the sheet from under his thighs and pushed it back in place under the heavier blankets as best he could.

Mai had had enough. "Just lie back down already, you joker," she murmured, grinning.

Valon looked down at her and smiled at her warmly, then did as she asked. He scooted closer to her once he was under, close enough so there was little space between them. "I'm glad you're here," he whispered. "I'm just—well... I'm glad you're here, with me. It's all I ever wanted, all this time."

"I'm glad I'm here, too, Valon," Mai replied softly. "I certainly had a better time than I would have drinking alone at the bar and then coming to my room."

"Glad I was able to improve your night. I'm sure the prospect of tossing back martinis and trying to find something to watch on the five whole channels the hotel provides was mighty appealing, yeah?"

"Close second," Mai played along, smirking.

He smiled at her, wrapped her in his arms, and pulled her closer. "Warmer?"

Mai put her own arms around him and closed her eyes, smiling peacefully. "Much."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Yeah, this will be continued. This storyline isn't finished.<strong>


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